even after so much time I still fight the urge to
prove I'm right and battle against the powers that
be to find som reason to search beyond what
peace I've found to settle my scores its not
enough although I go in the wake of something
much larger darker and harder to find what that is
I might never know until that day ill count my stars
and write my name for the search is longer than
all of the rest of my endless days.

An upgrade to an already fine SBD. I'm thinking it may be one of the found in 2017 - Betty Boards. It's seeding at dimeadozen as of 11/8/2021
https://archive.org/details/gd1972-08-21.139581.sbd.miller.sirmick.fixed.flac16

This show is an absolute burner, made for a great listen while driving. While it's missing a truly great moment where everything transcends, Dark Star->El Paso->Space->Deal is the highlight of this one for me. Keith's piano was putting me in an old west saloon during that Deal, almost wish the show ended there with all the electricity buzzing, but the boys keep going and it's still damn good.

Good Review freedom and congrats on your son's graduation.
I too like these Berkeley shows...you can't go wrong with these.
As a side note...it seems to me that the ones acting like Facists are the Anti-fa folks (A rose by any other name)

Situated between Europe 72
and Veneta
now that's
location, location, location.
Promised-Good way to get the blood flowing.
He's Gone-This certainly works 1st set.
Keith up in the mix.
Strange times here in America
Just watched Anti-fa beat up one of their own
for carrying a fascist symbol
which was a AMERICAN FLAG.
Somebody hits him in the head
with a concealed blunt force weapon
and they strip him of his U.S. flag
and leave him on the curbside.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=bwE620VkaD0 />Pretty sad, lame, reprehensible.
There is always the danger of becoming
just like those we call our enemies.
Black Throated- Great tune, it seemed pretty specific to the time period because when Weir brought it back it never had the same umph, with or without the lyric changes,
Phil gives a rap on Pigpen's health
with hindsight tragic foreboding
Interesting to hear FOTD-1972. This is the fast version like Workingman's--which gets an added boost from Keith's playing.
Nice Jack Straw with a full sound and Phil up front with his backing vocals. This song started out pretty much as a Weir tune Oct-71 but it evolves into a group tune much like Truckin' always is or the Weight in later years.
Jerry adds his lead vocals-which started during Europe 72.
I have said it before but i love Phil in the vocal mix.
China >Rider- a beauty of a China Cat
with Phil again way up in the vocal mix for RIDER.
Great jam in the RIDER and Jerry's vocals on point.
Listen to Phil render those backing vocals.
My son is graduating from Navy boot camp. i am very proud of him.
Me & My Uncle-How could anyone quantify what would make for the best version of this tune?
Sugaree-So freaking mellow.
"You know in spite of all you gain"
BIODTL-Great dance tune. this is a good version with some nice pre-DJG backing vocals.
Garcia seems to bend some notes on this version.
A sign to me that he is rested and relaxed.
Stella Blue-Love the placement here. It seemed like a heavy load for STELLA to always be in the last ballad of the night spot. The song is in it's infancy here with much of its So Many Roads still to be explored.
Weir takes a moment to Intro Donna & Keith
Straight into PITB. Whatever a person's take on DJG entry into the GD universe i think the set-up of Donna singing back-up and then exiting for the jam was a gateway for the band to explore PLAYING.
O.K. fellas let's hit the gas and see where we can go.
And then Donna off stage probably dancing her butt off until they hit the reprise. COOL BEANS!.
remember this song started off in Feb 18 1971 and probably clocked in at around 5 minutes
BUT listen to this version
not yet in the 20 minute range of 1973
but so intricate and involved.
B.E. Women- as always one of my favorites
"By God let's do MEXICALI"-Phil
"We forgot about that one" Bobby
Casey Jones-Interesting how this is another one of those tunes that the band either played as a 1st set closer or as the encore. My take on this is that the tune pretty much plays itself ( in much the same way as U.S. Blues)
So it doesn't put an overwhelming demand on the band.
Either way you slice it for a tune that pretty much defined the band to the outside world especially FM Album Oriented Rock. This tune often strikes me as a pack up and go home tune. (like Baby Blue)
Set Two
If you like Donna you should love this opener.
They just tear it up.
Ramble on- another tune that I don't often find in 2nd set. but the GSET, Ramble On works.
After brief tuning they head straight for The Dark Star.
a PITB groove just before they rode into El Paso.
Space out of El Paso is a mix of tuning and reminds me of that SPACE that used to come out Drumz on a good night in the 80's.
Garcia in an interview stated that in later years it was the most creative part of the show. Not sure where people hear Morning Dew in there?
One thing is pretty certain , nobody saw DEAL coming.
Everything after DEAL is gravy, 4 song encore.
Strong Sugar Magnolia SSDD- a touch of Donna
Dig Half Step late in the 2nd set
(Donna crosses the RIO Grande)
UJB-well played but sans DJG
Sat Night-all hands on deck!

Had huge hopes for dark star, stuck that shit out, trying to see where it was pushing , but ,that genuinely hurt, guess it wasn't meant to be heard the way I needed it to be tonight, it happens, still thankful for the songs that fill the ear, " buds" ya, stay away from dark star, unless your ready to get spun into outterspace, and question if there's possibly something farther , said it was a solid 27 min of illegible insanily, little tiny hopes but , not what it should be, it's sad :(=== love ya, 'll find folks out there, just another tweaker by the speaker ;)

It brings some serious fire.gr8 set list that's very well played. Gset is one of the best .72' kicks some ass.

Was listening to this show while working late and realized I was born a scant 6 days beforehand. My parents listened to Bing Crosby and other old-school stuff so there was no GD going on in our house!
I'm sure my 7lb frame was grooving to the music in my crib on this date some 3,000 miles away.
Piano on FOD is fantastic!

My girlfriend and I posed as Ushers at this sold-out show. Complete in black pants, white shirts, name tags and flashlights......we got in! A soon as we got inside, folks were shoving their tickets for direction to their seats. We did a few, then sat down in some empties and enjoyed the show.....seeing the Dead at Berkeley Community Theater which was carpeted, was like sitting in an acoustically tight spaceship..and it took off that night! awesome show!

This is the best Stella Blue I have ever heard. Honestly though, this is a song I often skip. Here though, Jerry shows full intent: vocal and guitar. Just as importantly though, the rest of the band is on the same page; that is playing with subtlety. The mix is also strikingly competent complements all of this wonderfully. In a word: captivating.
This show is a keeper for sure. Excellent sound, playing and overall vibe. Did I see somewhere this is a Bear/Betty collaboration? Jeez Louise!

Promised Land comes roaring out after a short Billy Graham intro. Nice piano work in particular.
He’s Gone takes an unusual spot in the set list and is well executed.
Bobby pulls out a spirited and purdy much perfect BTW!
FOTD is twangy and fast. Keith is a little louder than I think he should be, but he puts in a great effort here, as does Bobby.
Jack Straw
China>Rider, the first solo is through the roof with a massive Phil bomb and Jerry doubling up on some lightning scales. The transition jam is fun with a nice rhythm and early transition over to Rider, good Bobby! This is seeming to be somewhat of a Bobby night, actually. Keith and Jerry are also outstanding, hell, the whole team is! During Rider Jerry has some nice vibrato going adding yet more twang.
MAMU really knocked my socks off coming after the C>R! They were already on this show, and this put them through the stratosphere.
Sugaree
BIODTL
Stella is performed to a T with more energy than usual. Great rendition with a nice crash down before “it all rolls into one”. The final jam is solid as well, A+ version of Stella Blue.
PITB comes strong as well. This is a shorter version, for the period, unfortunately… and Donna is so freaking obnoxious. Bobby must have been banging her to allow her to defile his song like this. The jam, however, is out of this world, short as it may be! They break through to ludicrous speed and everyone is on point at the same time, X factor.
BEW
Mexicali is at hyperspeed as well, with Jerry again pulling out the double scales.
Casey Jones has a good amount of energy, and a cut.
GSET has to be up in the best ever renditions to blow the doors off the start of the 2nd set! A+ version.
Ramble On
Dark Star>El Paso>Space>Deal
This meat sequence has a Dark Star that keeps a nice tempo and thematic jam until after the 1st verse, when it pretty much collapses into space. It is a dark and creepy place, the jam picks up intensity though and isn’t a snoozing space. At the 16th minutes we get into what can no longer be considered space but exploratory jamming, my favorite. It reminds me of… nothing! It’s totally unique and Jerry kills it, you’ll feel like your tripping practically. Shortly before the 20 minute mark it heads back into a spacey feel. There is no Tiger in this one, as someone mentioned in a review. Jerry does try to do Dew, but the rest of the band declines his invitation, which is pretty funny and rare. Instead Jerry accepts their refusal and joins back into the energetic jamming that developed again. This slows back down and suddenly finds itself into a soft El Paso, more vocally pleasing than anything. It does pick up speed and intensity, but I prefer a more forward Garcia and a few more chances from Keith. It disappears unceremoniously into a space segment, which then somehow leads into Deal! Strange indeed. The Deal is the real deal.
Sugar Magnolia features yet more Garcia on point action.
Half-Step in its 6th rendition.
UJB>OMSN… false, there is a full stop. The UJB is really good!
Performance Summary
This is one of those shows that has solid playing all the way through. It has some bells and whistles too boast as well (one of four Dark Star>El Paso, break out of “space”, if you want to consider it that)… You can’t lose with this one.
Sound Quality
A+, This is the only available source, and it’s about as good as you will find from the era.

Although this show gets much less attention then its epic following shows it is in fact an energy filled epic concert. The me and my uncle is rocking, and is definitely one of my favorites. The dark star is also a great one. From the first song to last this concert is energy filled and one not to be missed.

China Cat, Playing, Greatest Story and Saturday Night are excellent. This is a five star show compared to any other years best excluding 1970, but hardly a contender in this year where Bob and Jerry are at their best throughout...

I love this playing! They waste no time just going off. Jerry on the Wa-Wa is masterful! At about 7:39 the band commences to playing some powerful magical sequence that is just really special....give it a listen and see for yourself. I have many favorite versions of this tune and 1972 as some wonderful ones in 8/27, 10/26, and 11/18. Those are special too!

As much as I usually agree with Dr. Flashback, I think this show edges out the 24th. The Dark Stars are pretty comparable imo, though the dissonant tiger/space jamming in this version is much more unique and enjoyable. And of course, 8/24 has a wonderful Bird Song and a great Dew.
But this show has a much better Playing in the Band (one of the best of the year actually- see smgarcia's review) and hotter versions of many of the "little" tunes like Sugar Mags and GSET. It's a tough call, but based on the hotness of Playin' especially, I think this show is a little better...do yourself a favor and check out this whole Berkley run though, it's great!

...but I have to give this one a 5. Really, it sounds like the beginning of what I consider '73 Dead.

Phenomenal show that you'll never tire of.
For these crispy sbds with the old tape hiss, reduce the bass end of your equalizers just a taste. Transformational china>rider jam, been looking for complete versions of these. 6/28/74 still my fav, tho now it's been pulled fom IA.

Dylan M had the right feel keith does sound like he is trying to outdo jerry which is a great sound i love this show and you should to

I have four words for you: Dark Star El Paso
It's really all you need.
Thanks,
The Management

Overall a pretty nice show. Jerry trying to play morning dew during the dark star is an interesting point. Makes you wonder about these weird moments during the shows. I remember hearing a story about a show in 86 where a stage guy brought out phil's mic as they were going to play gimme some lovin and then jerry persisted to play stella blue, everyone besides jerry was kinda like wtf? the ended up playing gimme some lovin the next night.
Overall this show is good, but nothing amazing, Dark star is that stellar, nor did i find the playing jam to be that great, its all nice but not stand out. 4 stars overall (setlist, sound, playing)

Amazing and wonderful are the words that come to mind. Every time I get lost in the old school Grateful Dead I feel happy. It's so nice to hear Jerry young and healthy. By the way this is a stellar recording.

`
~^|\_@|@_/|^~
~<->/<->\<->~
~This Day in GRATEFUL DEAD History~
I highly recommend adding this show to your 1972 GRATEFUL DEAD collection.
SUMMER OF 72'
I couldn't be there in 72, but I am here today...where were you?
I could go on and on about the show, but who cares?
I do recommend using your EQ during playback of most of the shows on the IA, this one included.
Windows Media Player has a 10 band EQ and SRS WOW effects that enhance the sound.
Here's one way to stream/dowload this show:
The IA recommends users of Windows XP view this web-page with RealPlayer.
RealPlayer is a free media player you can download at www.realplayer.com.
Using RealPlayer to view this webpage, click the VBR M3U link to open the songs in the Playlist.
If your Playlist is not open, open it by clicking the Playlist icon at the lower right hand corner of RealPlayer.
Once the songs are in the Playlist, double click the song to play it, then click the record button at the lower left hand corner of Realplayer to record it.
When the red line reaches the other end click the stop button to download the song. Your song is in the RealPlayer Downloads folder.
Repeat these steps for each song.
OR
Hook up audio cables (1/8th inch stereo male jack with two rca male jacks at the other end) from your headphone jack on your computer to your audio input on your Reel to Reel, Cassette,VHS, CD, DVD, MP3, recorder and record it in real time...duh?
Eat, Drink, Be Merry and Listen to the GRATEFUL DEAD, for tomorrow we may die....
Thanks for the LOVE from 1972.

Evan Hunt, thank you so much for writing that wonderful account of this show.
more whylight please !

This show stands as proof of the power of the second half of 1972 for the Dead's progression and mission as a band of spiritual crusaders. Europe tour set up the Playing in the Band jam and in general standardized more variety in setlists, introduced the heads to keith and donna for better or worse, but this is all fun and games compared to summer and fall. This show is unbelievable. Before i discovered the power of this show, and shows like the Stanley Run in September, the Fox show in October, and so many others, i generally was under the impression that the development of the sound and jams was more of a 73' thang, but boy was i wrong. This show has the Greatest Greatest story ever told, hands down. Even with the Donna whaling, its well worth it. Keith and Jerry smoked hippie crack before the show and it almost seems like their in a contest of who can outplay one and other. And if you know 71-74' Keith, you know thats quite an amazing feet. The Dark Star>El Paso>Space>Morning Dew is primal Dead. absolutely nessesary!! I think Bobby goes "whew!!!" at the end of every verse he sings in every song at this show. Leave it to a good ole' California show for the boys to boast what they learned on the road in Europe, and where they planned to take it next. If the last night at the Strand Lyceum set them up, this knocked em' down baby! Five stars!! get it if you can! peace

First saw them at Winterland 5-71 but always remembered this particular show for 2 reasons: the intro of Donna & Keith (lotta rumors beforehand in the days of pre-internet) and the first version I heard of the extended PITB. The tempo was so up and jumpin. Sound quality that night was excellent and this recording is as good. I thought the name of the venue was Zellerbach Auditorium on the U of Berkeley campus which was often confused with the Community Theater at the High School. This was definitely at Zellerbach where I saw Van Morrison, Jethro Tull etc. 72 was a leap for the Dead, more polish and punch. So FANTASTIC to hear this show again!

even
the Me And My Uncle is hot. Yeah
that's how good this one is/was/is again.
There a willful attendee and the host of a martian tour group -- part of a wedding present for my best bud, John, and my best bud gal, Val.

It was a celebration of their special day and it was also a celebration of our last night together since they were leaving after the show for Hood River.
Since it was our last night together we decided to throw feelings and sentiment into the wind and turn it into a very special night and a special night it turned into. It was a magical night. It was unforgettable. It was willed into being.
And the Dead? The Dead did not disappoint us, well... for a Monday, man, like, y'know?
This was a sitdown affair. The Grateful Dead serenaded us true and factual and blue. After the initial musical chairs and nervous ushers demanding that concertgoers remove their leaping extremities out of the aisles, the band settled us in with remarkable renditions of all of our favorite hits. The sound in Berkeley Community Theater was immaculate and the GD figured that hall out quick.
Of the four BCT shows that year, this one, as great as it is, placed fourth. This, and all the shows of this run, was a Betty Board with Bear mixing front of house.
This show is a finely pure recording of an amazingly energized band. Yet, it does not outdo the next night(22nd) which is a better show. Then the Thursday show(24th) was better than the Tuesday. However, the Friday show(25th) was the king and queen of all the nights. And then, Two days later, they went, also, to Oregon, to Veneta.
Spectacular regeneration!
The band was in its champing at the bit best.
They played all the songs that we wanted to hear.
During Half Step we did a group hug and bid one another a tearful farewell. It was the end of an era for us. It was the end of a friendship never re-kindled. We sensed the reality of the moment merely from the overtone of finality inherent in the rhythm of this tune. It was finished.
From that moment on, we thus admitted and notated, that the old gang started to deplete one by one and sink into the whylight of imagination.
Shall we conjure them back into the whylight?
Don't need to...the GD fill in all the blanks -- as if there is no tomorrow. How foolish we dreamed there is no tomorrow.
Still, It lives. Uncle John's Band.
Oregon.

i can't seem to figure it out

Fantastic show. The BTW is probably the best I've heard and the He's Gone is top shelf, not to mention the other gems on here. I really can't get over how great the intro sounds on that BTW.
In my opinion, even though their library wasn't complete yet, they never sounded better than they did in 1972, especially from that New York run right before they left for Europe, through the end of the summer tour.

Jerry sings "can't keep from crying" instead of "gonna make'em shine" in the 3rd verse of Stella. Can't remember another show in which he's uses this line. (But there are manymany Stellas I have yet to hear.) The change parallels the other "cryings" in the standard lyrics, but I was wondering if anyone out there has other insights/information to shine on Jerry altering the line.
As everyone else has said: this is a magnificent show. A very adventurous Dark Star. I love Jerry's vocals on He's Gone and Stella: he's really impassioned.

Have to agree with Batcaver...
Phil sounds great on Jack Straw. Brown Eyed Women is awesome and Dark Star is off the rails.
Wish I could have been there... What a great year to see the them.

The audio quality is top-notch. Great mix, album-quality. Keith's keyboards are a great new addition to the band at this point (plus, Donna's caterwauling hasn't reared its head yet!) Great selection of songs, amazing quality, definitely a show you should get to know.

defenitly a keeper, any fan of 72 must get this, great quality, great setlist, flat out sick show

Sirius Satellite Radio played this concert tonight. I am happy I got to hear it, it's really really good. They feel full of energy and provide a superb performance.
This is the night that they introduce Keith and Donna Godchaux were introduced into the family of the band this evening. The audio is right before Playin in the band... not sure if the stream captured it or not. I didn't listened to this streaming version.
Brown Eyed Women is superb. It is right on, sounds like they are all connection in this one. It's got good energy and Bobby sounds great. Most of the songs in this concert are have these qualities... this is a great concert to own. The Dead seem to play individual songs rather than jam out a 15-20 minute versions of each song. It's an unusual quality for the Grateful Dead but it is a nice set of terrifically performed songs.
Black Throated Wind is awesome. This is certainly my favorite version of this song. The opening guitar sounds a bit wavey and psychadelic; it sounds so darn good.
Good rendition of Gratest Storey Ever Told, very high energy. Donna is showin why she should stay with the band. Her vocals are great and she's into it, full on.

The most noticable aspect for my listening is the clarity of the harmony that Phil provides. (Maybe I have this wrong since I've never seen footage to be sure). The one I'm speaking of can be heard most clearly when he outsings Weir and Garcia in Jack Straw. The strain is evident but the results are great. After listening to JS it's no wonder he stopped singing. One of the things that makes '72 distinct for me is the strength of this harmony that he provides.

with coffee cup in hand and a little help from a friend my morning has started with a simile.

How cool is this recording????
Yes, it is....

Didn't think the Dark Star would live up to the hype, it does, plus some, a mind bending monster not to be taken lightly.

One of the first songs I listen to for new shows is Playin' In The Band. Other people usually turn to Dark Star, maybe something else. But I like Playin' because it has a catchy, great tune and then an intense jam, followed by the remaining tune. Dark Star oppositely is just basically a jam.
Anyway this Playin' is absolutely fantastic. First, Bob articulates every single word into the microphone. In later years he sometimes misses words here or there, or changes the cadence. The enunciation of Playin' here is as written - and that's why I like it. By the 80's and beyond the song changed too much for me to really like.
The jam is also just utterly brillant. I've been listening to the jams around this time period, specifically 8/24/1972 and 8/27/1972 and they are all good, but this one sizes up the best. The jam gets really fast, but everyone is in sync. Sometimes jams have all band members playing kind of different rythyms, all coalescening together. But this one, they are synchronized to a blazing fast beat. It is primarily driven by Keith's piano playing. The piano sound and it's wicked thrust really drives Jerry, Phil and Bob into the song. There is a nice calm segue into the end of of Playin' too. Listen around the 8 minute mark.
A few other comments - having one drummer makes a difference, I think. It allows me to concentrate on the other musical instruments. When there are two drummers, you get this syncopated, skippy beat. Also, the kind of piano Keith plays is so much better than the tinker-bell popsy piano used by Brent. It's real music, not one produced by a bunch of kids playing on a $200 electric piano.
This concert gets 5 star in my book. I'm beginning to like 1972 as much as the may shows of 1977, when I consider the Dead at the professional musical peak (plus songs like The Wheel, Terrapin, Estimated, Scarlet > Fire all came out by that time.)
Lastly, note that this recording has a slight hiss. It's not perfect, especially when you listen to it at high volumes. But can't downgrade because of that.

Soooo much tastiness that it's hard to fathom the beauty. I feel I must pray - literally! Both Bob and Jerry's voices sound so great. Take special note of Jerry's in Stella Blue - an especially moving version, not just vocally - Garcia's leads are crisp, powerful, and authoritative. This show's version of Playing in the Band is also superlative. This show is Mighty.

It is all true. Gett'n Down.

This is great semi-early Dead at its best. The Black Throated is full of energy as is the majority of the first set. The China->Rider is amazing and exhibits a level of play that only the early 70's attianed. I need not talk about the second set or the Dark Star as the reviews below say all that needs to be said.

Could be a top ten Dark Star.

At least one of the best ever. Great sound, too

This is probably the most evil dark* of its time. It is not the prettiest (see dane county '73), but it will twist your brain and make your dog start barking at you. I feel pity for the poor souls who were too high on LSD at this concert. May G.O.D. have mercy on their souls.
Later with the use of midi and whatnot they could make 'em even more evil like florida '89... but I prefer the good ol' days when we didn't have midi and we liked it. This dark* is RAW dead with Jerry at his best. As the Dark* progresses out of chaos Jerry starts going into the "Morning Dew". That, according to Phil, was not what the Vibes needed.
Phil needed to get things groovin' for another 10 minutes with a Booty-Smackin funk jam to show us where the music could go if he wanted it to go there. Just to let ya know,
Yes, we really did just freak the "F" out like that on purpose.
So who the hell else would jump into a giddy-up Western Swing classic like "El Paso" after a MASSIVE musical FReaKoUt?
For that matter, what the hell kinda band goes back into space after playing "El Paso"?
Only the best band ever would, that's who.
Big Balls and No Fear.
great sound for its time. I aint really rating the show just the Dark* > el paso

This one's special to me, the 27th is the most talked about and the 22-24th have their qualities too, but there is simply some fine points to be heard within this recording that lifts it, songs like el paso and deal find their way to the top of the setlist interest, on the back of some interesting transitions. I'd caution don't look for magic, just put it in the background and let it grab your attention. Tunes Like FOTD and Miss Half Step, echo the september to come and all those DP's. Maybe August got a bum rap.

Email me at fieldhouse11277@hotmail.com Happy to share with responsible listeners.

This show has so many qualities about it that make it a top pick that I am surprised that it has not been appointed to the Dick's Pick's series. This particular recording has a nice listenable tone and the sets are as solid as they get. Check out China Cat and get back to me...:-P

Ohhhh man, if I had a dollar for everytime I put this one on after a bong rip or a tab drop in the last 15 years or so. While I had heard Veneta before this, this one absolutely KICKED MY ASS when I first heard it, and the quality was stunning. To say that this one gets OUT T H E R E is an understatement! there's something about this Dark Star that really puts it above most of the ones not just from 72 but 71-74. Phil shutting down jerry as he tries to play Dew is so awesome! he was not ready to end this one, and Jer ended up spinning a few more scorching licks before Bob fell in love with a Mexican girl.

This show just absolutely rocks! So many highlights, can't name them all. The Dark Star, as mentioned already, really is a 4-star restaurant unto itself. Get the whole show!

top not shit hear, love the setlist for 72 whats missing..well.. not a damn thing !

This show is a favorite among older Deadheads and
tape collectors, because it was widely available and also because it's really good! So good in fact, that this was one of the doctor's top shows
for 1972 until I heard 8/24, and that one beat it
out. Well, it's hard to top a Dark Star>Morning Dew combination (Jerry tries it on this night, but Phil and Billy have other ideas - see below).
Nevertheless, this is a superb show in many ways
and it's guaranteed to thrill. Set One looks a lot like Europe 72, with a stacked deck of great songs like Sugaree, Jack Straw, He's Gone, BE Women and the welcome return of FOTD on this run,
not since Spring Tour 1971!
Playin is now all grown up as a jam vehicle, well seasoned from the Europe tour (check out the 30 min. version from 5/26!) This one is shorter but
leaves you wanting for nothing, featuring some lovely acoustic piano work from Keith along with
Garcia's wah wah blazing above the mix. A very jazzy and up tempo version that serves as an appetizer for what's to come.
The Dark Star is naturally the main course, and has been favorably compared to 4/8/72. For a good description, read Henry Kaiser's review in Deadbase. A very complex and explorative version,
with many moods. They play around with the main
A to G theme for a while on the mellow side. Then
halfway through, Jerry revs it up for some very
fast runs on the wah wah, and then the Star explodes in dissonant fury and fireworks - buckle
up and hang onto your brain for this! Then Jerry decides he's ready to do Morning Dew, but Phil has other ideas, and he and Billy manage to turn the jam into a fast jazzy train ride before everyone drops out and lets Keith take over with
some sparkling piano riffs. The short jam after
El Paso is interesting as well.
The surprises continue with the new addition of
Half Step, and instead of the normal NFA to end,
they pull out an Uncle John's Band.
A great show to add to your 1972 collection, and
one of the better Dark Stars of the year if you
like em wild and weird!
enjoy,
Dr. Flashback ;-)

what a recording is supposed to sound like! Absolutely great!!!!

Great second set. I usually dislike Donna, love her on greatest story.
The entire second set is some of my all time favorite. The DArk Star get out, and the move into ElPaso is fantastic. Everything else is very well done.
This is the beginning of the post pigpen, one drummer, really loose jams that tended to define '73 and '74. I think this show gets overshadowed by 8-27, but this one is well worth the download.
Get it.